Dying in the Arms of No One
by Agent Willow Fenton-Banner
Summary: Or Tony Stark: Genius, Billionaire, Playboy, Philanthropist, Iron Man, Dead. Tony Stark has had it with his flashbacks, so he decided to end it. Rated T for some coarse language, one attempt at suicide, and death.


**Dying in the Arms of No One**

Bruce was working sadly in his lab when he dropped something. When he went to pick it up, he saw an invention that wasn't finished. Tony and Bruce were working on it before it happened.

* * *

Obadiah was right. Tony did have PTSD. It started it with just the flashbacks, but everything gradually got worse from there.

* * *

Tony and Bruce were working in the lab, Tony not listening to his music while working for once.

Tony was working on some upgrades to his Iron Man armor while Bruce was working on who knows what.

Bruce had been mixing chemicals when there was a small explosion that reminded Tony of Afghanistan.

Tony stopped working and froze up. Bruce, not hearing anything from the billionaire, looked to see Tony looking off into space, frozen.

"Tony?" Bruce asked.

Tony didn't move or reply.

This worried the physicist. Bruce got up and walked over to the brown haired man. "Tony, are you alright?" He asked, putting a hand on Tony's shoulder.

That action alone made Tony jump a few feet in the air. "Oh, it's just you, Bruce." He said with his trademark grin, but Bruce could tell that it was fake.

"Tony, are you alright?" He repeated.

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Just a memory, nothing big." Tony answered, getting back to his work.

Bruce knew it was something more. It was Tony's secret to tell.

* * *

After that episode, there were full blown hallucinations, if you could call them that. It was like Tony had teleported to another place, as he could feel everything happening. And these came on randomly.

* * *

Tony had been making coffee for himself when Clint walked into the room.

Suddenly, Tony had dropped the pitcher.

"What the hell, Tony?" Clint asked.

He got no reply.

"Stark, is this some joke, because it isn't funny." He continued.

Tony made no move to reply. He didn't even know that Clint was there, as he was reliving Yinsen's death.

"Tony, what the _hell _is going on!" Clint yelled, getting Steve and Bruce into the room.

"What's going on?" Steve asked.

"Tony dropped the coffee pot and no matter what I say, he isn't answering." Clint explained.

"This happened before." Bruce said. "Right after an explosion. I was mixing chemicals and it exploded. Then, Tony froze up."

Suddenly, Tony started yelling. "Yinsen, Yinsen!"

"Who's Yinsen?" Steve asked.

Pepper ran into the room after hearing Tony scream. "Yinsen is the man who was in the cave with Tony." She explained before going to go talk Tony down from wherever he was.

"Wait, what cave?" Clint asked.

"He'll tell you when he's ready. He didn't want it on his file." Pepper said before Tony came back.

* * *

Finally, the stress got too much that Tony decided to kill himself. The best way to do that was taking out the Arc Reactor. His suicide attempt didn't go his way, however.

* * *

Tony was going to do it. Steve, Natasha, Clint, and Pepper were all out doing whatever it is that they were doing, Coulson was on the Helicarrier, Thor was eating pop-tarts (how could _anyone _eat that many pop-tarts and _not _get sick?), and Bruce was meditating in the living room.

Everyone was preoccupied, leaving Tony to himself.

"JARVIS, I want you to record a message for the others." Tony said.

"Sir, I do not think that this is the best course of action." The crisp British voice of the AI butler, JARVIS, said.

"I've spent too long thinking about it. I'm going to do it. Just, record the message for the others." Tony said flatly.

"As you wish, sir." JARVIS replied. "Recording now."

"I- I just can't take it anymore... The memories are too much. I never get anything done anyways... Everywhere I turn, something just bounces at me. It's so painful... Why do you think I made jokes all of the time? I was trying to hide what was happening to me... I was trying to avoid the memories- but I know that I'll never escape the pain..." Tony started. "I guess you guys are wondering what I'm talking about. I'll tell you. Before I became Iron Man, I was just Tony Stark. I ran Stark Industries, a weapons manufacturing company. I was in Afghanistan, showing off a new product that I made. On the way back, the convoy was attacked by a terrorist group knows as the Ten Rings. My mentor, Obadiah Stane, hired them to kill me, but they kidnapped me instead. When they bombed the convoy, the soldiers told me to stay in the Humvee, but I ran. I ran behind a rock. And that's when it happened. One of **my **bombs landed next to me. I knew it was mine because it had the SI logo on it. It exploded, and put shrapnel in my heart. When the Ten Rings captured me, I was stuck inside a cave with a man named Yinsen for three months." He explained. "Yinsen... He gave me my first Arc Reactor, though it really was just an electromagnet hooked up to a car battery. When they wanted me to make the missile I demonstrated, I made a better Arc Reactor, and then we made the first Iron Man suit. I piloted it. Yinsen died for me, he was giving me time to power up the suit." Tony finished.

"Now, it's time for the goodbyes.

Pepper, you're my rock. I know I'm leaving without a word, as you're going to get this after I'm dead. I want to let you know that I love you with all my heart, and that I'm sorry for leaving you like this.

Bruce, we sure had some fun times, huh? I wish I could do some more stuff with you. Stay green.

Steve. Make sure you don't go flying planes into ice anymore, okay? I know I acted like an ass to you in the beginning, but that's only because my father loved you more than he loved me. Lead the team through this for me, okay?

Natasha, you still scare the fuck out of me. I know we weren't really friends, but stay safe.

Clint. We could have pranked up a storm, I just know it. I have a surprise for you in the first drawer on the left on my desk. I think you'll like them.

Thor. Keep on swinging, Point Break. And make sure your brother stays safe, I know how much you care about Reindeer Games.

Fury. I know you'll get this one way or another. No hacking JARVIS, Eye-patch. No one touches my stuff without my permission, even if I'm dead." There was a click as Tony took out the Arc Reactor. "Yep. This is how I'm going out, shrapnel to the heart. Bye everyone." He said, his breathing labored. "JARVIS, stop recording."

"Recording stopped, sir."

Tony's eyes drooped as Thor entered the room. "Man of Iron, we have run out of poptarts!" He boomed.

Thor noticed that Tony's breathing wasn't right, and saw the hole in his chest. He saw the Arc Reactor laying on his chest.

The elevator dinged, just as Thor was about to go get Bruce, as he feared that he would make it worse by trying to put the Arc Reactor back in.

Bruce came out of the elevator. "Ah, Green Man!" He said. "The Man of Iron has taken out his chest piece!" He continued.

Bruce's eyes widened. "Wait, Tony took out the Arc Reactor?" He asked worriedly.

Bruce rushed past Thor and took the Arc Reactor from it's spot. He put it back in the hole, and Tony took a deep breath.

"Is this heaven?" Tony asked.

"No." Bruce said. "What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that I wanted to die." Tony said. "JARVIS?" He asked.

"Yes, sir?" The AI replied.

"Don't send the message."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

The last time Tony took out the Arc Reactor, it wasn't PTSD related.

* * *

The radiation was too much for the Arc Reactor.

While Tony was working in his workshop, the Arc Reactor began to flicker. "JARVIS, is something wrong with the Arc Reactor?" He asked.

"It seems that the radiation from the nuclear bomb is affecting it, and has been for quite some time." JARVIS replied.

Bruce wasn't in the room, but told JARVIS not to let Tony take out the Arc Reactor again. If Tony did, then JARVIS would alert Bruce.

"JARVIS," Tony started with labored breathing, as if he had taken the Arc Reactor out. "When you tell Bruce that I took out the Arc Reactor, tell him not to put it back in. Tell him I don't have the time to make a new one. Tell him about the radiation, and, when I die, send out the recording from two weeks ago. The one I recorded when I took out the reactor the first time." He said, taking out.

000

Bruce had been drinking tea when it happened.

"Dr. Banner, Mr. Stark has taken out the Arc Reactor. It was dying from exposure to the nuclear missile. He says that he doesn't want you to put it back in, and that he doesn't have the time to make a new one." JARVIS told him.

"JARVIS, where are the others?" Bruce asked, getting out of his seat.

"Mr. Rogers, Agent Romanoff, and Agent Barton are in the training room and Mr. Odinson is in the living room. Would you like me to call them down to the lab along with Miss Potts and Director Fury?"

"Yes, please." Bruce said as he made his way to the lab.

"Dialing Director Fury."

"_Stark, you better have a good reason for this._" Fury's voice came through loud and clear.

"Tony took out his Arc Reactor, Director." Bruce said. "The nuke he took into the portal was affecting it."

"_I'll be over in ten._" Fury said as he hung up.

"Dialing Pepper Potts." JARVIS said after Fury hung up.

"_Tony, are you alright? I haven't heard from you in weeks!_" Pepper's worried voice rang loud and clear.

"Pepper... Tony's not alright." Bruce didn't know how to break it to Pepper that her boyfriend was as good as dead.

"_Bruce?_" She asked. "_What's wrong? What happened to Tony?_"

"Pepper, the Arc Reactor was affected by the nuke. Tony took it out." Bruce said sadly.

"_I'm coming over. Where is he?_" She asked.

"The labs."

Pepper didn't say anything else as she hung up.

000

Bruce reached the labs to see Tony's prone form on the ground. The others had just reached the lab, as well.

"Why did you call us all-" Steve broke off as he saw Tony's body.

Bruce walked over to look for a pulse. He didn't feel one.

Pepper and Fury entered a few minutes later when JARVIS suddenly said, "Now playing recording."

Then, Tony's voice came on.

"_I- I just can__'__t take it anymore... The memories are too much. I never get anything done anyways... __Everywhere I turn, something just bounces at me. It__'__s so painful... Why do you think I made jokes all of the time? I was trying to hide what was happening to me... I was trying to avoid the memories- but I know that I__'__ll never escape the pain..._" Tony started. "_I guess you guys are wondering what I'm talking about. I'll tell you. Before I __became Iron Man, I was just Tony Stark. I ran Stark Industries, a weapons manufacturing company. I was in Afghanistan, showing off a new product that I made. On the way back, the convoy was attacked by a terrorist group knows as the Ten Rings. My mentor, Obadiah Stane, hired them to kill me, but they kidnapped me instead. When they bombed the convoy, the soldiers told me to stay in the Humvee, but I ran. I ran behind a rock. And that's when it happened. One of __**my **__bombs landed next to me. I knew it was mine because it had the SI logo on it. It exploded, and put shrapnel in my heart. When the Ten Rings captured me, I was stuck inside a cave with a man named Yinsen for three months._" He explained. "_Yinsen... He gave me my first Arc Reactor, though it really was just an electromagnet hooked up to a car battery. When they wanted me to make the missile I demonstrated, I made a better Arc Reactor, and then we made the first Iron Man suit. I __piloted__ it. Yinsen died for me, he was giving me time to power up the suit._" Tony finished.

"_Now, it's time for the goodbyes._

_Pepper, you're my rock. I know I'm leaving without a word, as you're going to get this after I'm dead. I want to let you know that I love you with all my heart, and that I'm sorry for leaving you like this._

_Bruce, we sure had some fun times, huh? I wish I could do some more stuff with you. Stay green._

_Steve. Make sure you don't go flying planes into ice anymore, okay? I know I acted like an ass to you in the beginning, but that's only because my father loved you more than he loved me. Lead the team through this for me, okay?_

_Natasha, you still scare the fuck out of me. I know we weren't really friends, but stay safe._

_Clint. We could have pranked up a storm, I just know it. I have a surprise for you in the first drawer on the left on my desk. I think you'll like them._

_Thor. Keep on swinging, Point Break. And make sure your brother stays safe, I know how much you care about Reindeer Games._

_Fury. I know you'll get this one way or another. No hacking JARVIS, __Eye-patch.__ No one touches my stuff without my permission, even if I'm dead._" There was a click as Tony took out the Arc Reactor. "_Yep. This is how I'm going out, shrapnel to the heart. Bye __everyone__._" There was another click, then nothing.

Pepper broke down crying. Clint, Natasha, and Fury were expressionless. Steve wasn't crying, but he wasn't happy either. He looked like he was crying in his own way. Bruce was trying to keep the other guy from coming out, and Thor looked like he wanted to start up a storm.

* * *

Hours after getting out of the lab, Bruce went to the cemetery and stopped at a grave, putting flowers on it. The gravestone read:

_Tony Stark_

_Genius, Billionaire, Playboy,_

_Philanthropist, and Iron Man._

_May he live on forever in our hearts._

_May 29th, 1970 __to June 26__th__, 2013_

* * *

A/N: Well... That was depressing to write. But, it's the first thing I've ever completed, even if it is just a one-shot. This'll be beta'd by Jennythe3 later, as she just went to bed and I wanted to get this posted. Sorry if anyone seems OOC. I DON'T OWN THE AVENGERS! I listened to He Mele No Lilo while writing this, which is odd, since this is a sad story, and He Mele No Lilo is very upbeat.


End file.
